So you have finally finished your precious manuscript, edited it, run over it with a fine-toothed comb, and put every fibre of your being into making it a masterpiece.But, no one will publish it. Why? Your novel is fascinating, your structure is sound, and your style is enhanced. What more do agents and publishers want?
The buzzword going around in the publishing world at the moment is 'platform'. The author platform.
Existing authors have them, most new authors have them, and even many of the publishing employees themselves have them! So what is an author platform and what makes it so important?A platform is how you can get seen in a noisy world. It is a prominent level you are promoting yourself on to provide yourself with a name.
By working on a particular idea, you become somewhat of an authority in your niche. Think of it as a soapbox in the modern age. You let the world know what you're all about, and if they like what they see you become well known for what you provide.This can be done mostly through electronic resources such as composing a weblog, creating a Facebook page or a web page dedicated to your topic.
Here's an example. A friend of mine is completing the first draft of her first novel and trying to have it looked at by an agent. However, no one is paying any attention to her as she has no prior experience, and has never before sold a best seller. She is a 'risk' to the publishing house.
She is putting herself out there to be noticed.
She works as a nurse and the theme of her first novel revolves around mental illness. Therefore she has set herself up on a weblog which focuses on mental illness in order to reach out to a community who may be interested in her story. People who are showing enthusiasm about her subject are also expressing interest in purchasing her book when it is finished.
So now when she takes her finished manuscript to a publisher, along with a list of potential customers, the risk of the publisher taking her on is reduced and her work suddenly becomes so much more appealing to them!
The buzzword going around in the publishing world at the moment is 'platform'. The author platform.
Existing authors have them, most new authors have them, and even many of the publishing employees themselves have them! So what is an author platform and what makes it so important?A platform is how you can get seen in a noisy world. It is a prominent level you are promoting yourself on to provide yourself with a name.
By working on a particular idea, you become somewhat of an authority in your niche. Think of it as a soapbox in the modern age. You let the world know what you're all about, and if they like what they see you become well known for what you provide.This can be done mostly through electronic resources such as composing a weblog, creating a Facebook page or a web page dedicated to your topic.
Here's an example. A friend of mine is completing the first draft of her first novel and trying to have it looked at by an agent. However, no one is paying any attention to her as she has no prior experience, and has never before sold a best seller. She is a 'risk' to the publishing house.
She is putting herself out there to be noticed.
She works as a nurse and the theme of her first novel revolves around mental illness. Therefore she has set herself up on a weblog which focuses on mental illness in order to reach out to a community who may be interested in her story. People who are showing enthusiasm about her subject are also expressing interest in purchasing her book when it is finished.
So now when she takes her finished manuscript to a publisher, along with a list of potential customers, the risk of the publisher taking her on is reduced and her work suddenly becomes so much more appealing to them!
About the Author:
If you're interested to learn more about creating an author platform or even novel writing go to http://www.howtowriteabookadvice.net
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